Santita Ebangwese is one of the most exuberant teenagers you will ever meet. Standing at the end of Pittsford Sutherland's assembled girls volleyball lineup, she is constantly smiling, bouncing around and offering encouragement.

She gets the biggest reaction from the crowd at Sutherland before the team's season opener against Gates Chili. Ebangwese, an enormously talented and charismatic 6-foot, 2-inch senior middle blocker for the defending Class A state champions, is one of the major reasons why those around Section V expect the Rochester-area teams to again be deep, competitive, and well represented on the state stage.

As Webster Schroeder coach Shawn Strege put it, "This area lost a lot of talent from last year. If you go through all the teams, you will see that a lot of talent left. But I don't think you will see a down year. You will see some new faces shine."

Mercy coach CJ Denk was a little more effusive in his assessment of Section V girls volleyball.

"Some of these classes are ridiculously deep," Denk said. "Section V volleyball is stronger than ever. Some of these classes are the toughest they've ever been, especially Class AA."

Most teams lost at least one key senior contributor. Some graduated NCAA Division I recruits. But most are unabashedly optimistic. Here's five of the biggest questions to consider as we embark on a new season.

1. How will Pittsford Sutherland do now that two-time All-Greater Rochester and state player of the year Luisa Schirmer has moved on to Ohio State?

As Sutherland coach Matt Glover recognizes, "Losing Luisa, that's a big deal. She's your terminator, she's your player that everyone is afraid of, but we have a different approach this year."

But Ebangwese, who helped Sutherland win state crowns in both volleyball and basketball last year, is the biggest reason for enthusiasm at Sutherland. She's an imposing force in the middle of the court, and she has only gotten better.

"I thought they would have a little bit of a letdown, but I saw them the other day and they are scary," Strege said. "She's just so athletic that they can do anything they want with her. She was a little more one dimensional last year, but she can do whatever she wants this year."

"We're excited to go out there and prove that it wasn't just about one player," said Glover, who also coached the Knights to a state title in 2010, "and that we're a team, we're a family, and we build things together."

2. What are the expectations for a talented but young Mercy team?

Over the past two seasons, Mercy has finished as the Class AA state champion in 2012 and state runner up in 2013. But the Monarchs will have a new look this season without All-Greater Rochester performers Terese Cannon (Georgetown) and Emily Costello (Stony Brook).

"We're young, we're athletic, and now if our brains can catch up to what our bodies can do, some good things will happen," Denk said.

Denk said senior outside hitter Kailey Falk, who missed most of last season with a broken ankle, and junior setter Hannah Cannon, Terese's younger sister, will be counted on to help the team grow smarter.

According to Falk, "We have a lot of athletic girls. We'll be really scrappy."

3. Who are the other top teams in Class AA?

Along with Mercy, Webster Schroeder and Penfield are the top contenders. Coaches point to Webster Schroeder as the favorite. The Warriors must replace setter Katie McKrell, a 2013 AGR pick. Junior Amanda Mosack and Italian exchange student Giulia Lodigiani will fill McKrell's shoes.

"Are we going to rally around her, or are we going to make it a challenge for her? I hope that at some point, maybe in late September, we'll start to feel comfortable with ourselves," Strege said. "I think we can be a pretty dynamic offense."

That offense includes junior twins Ally and Amber Smith. Ally has been on varsity since eighth grade. Senior middle blocker Cassie Campbell also returns.

Penfield lost two Division I players in setter Emily Fronk (Fordham) and outside hitter Emily Richards (Belmont). The Patriots have a strong and exciting sophomore class that includes setter Alea Steigerwald and outsider hitter Emily Harnischfeger. There is also senior leadership with Erica Cappellino and Emma Stoltz, a returning AGR honoree.

"Even though they are slightly on the young side, we're still pretty solid," Penfield coach Andrew Solomon said. "They are a very competitive group. I think that we're going to be there in the end with a chance for a sectional title."

4. Who are the top small-school teams in Section V?

Honeoye Falls-Lima capped its most successful season ever with a sectional title and a berth in the state semifinals last season in Class B. The Cougars return almost their entire lineup this season.

Traditional powerhouse Byron-Bergen is still strong in Class C. The Bees won the sectional title last year, topped Waterloo in the state qualifier, and then fell to Section VI's Eden in the state quarterfinals. Coach Cindy D'Errico is excited about her team that returns senior rightside hitter Abigail Kelly, freshman setter Lauren Burke, and junior outside hitter Bryanna D'Agostino. The Bees opened the season with wins over Gates Chili and Spencerport and a second-place showing in the Gary Adler Tournament at Gates Chili.

Expect strong squads from Attica, Gananda, Avon and Le Roy.

Class D should be ultra-competitive again this year. Bloomfield won the Class DDD title last season, then topped Geneseo in the Class D state qualifier before losing to Section VI's Randolph in the state quarterfinals. Bloomfield returns a talented and tested senior class that includes section MVP Peyton Robinson, a setter, Alyssa Eveland and Audra Beechler.

5. Why are we seeing more depth in Section V volleyball?

Like other sports, volleyball is seeing more specialization. More athletes are focusing solely on the sport and there are burgeoning club programs in the area, including Paradigm, Xtreme and VolleyFX.

"You can't go to a sectional final four match any more without seeing rosters made up of mostly of club players," Bloomfield coach Mark Robinson said.